1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed in general to data communications. More specifically, the present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for synchronizing information in multiple processing devices processing data connected detection of errors relating to transactions in high speed data processing systems.
2. Related Art
As is known, communication technologies that link electronic devices are many and varied, servicing communications via both physical media and wirelessly. Some communication technologies interface a pair of devices, other communication technologies interface small groups of devices, and still other communication technologies interface large groups of devices.
Examples of communication technologies that couple small groups of devices include buses within digital computers, e.g., PCI (peripheral component interface) bus, ISA (industry standard architecture) bus, USB (universal serial bus), and SPI (system packet interface). One relatively new communication technology for coupling relatively small groups of devices is the HyperTransport (HT) technology, previously known as the Lightning Data Transport technology (HyperTransport I/O Link Specification “HT Standard”). The HT Standard sets forth definitions for a high-speed, low-latency protocol that can interface with today's buses like AGP, PCI, SPI, 1394, USB 2.0, and 1 Gbit Ethernet as well as next generation buses including AGP 8x, Infiniband, PCI-X, PCI 3.0, and 10 Gbit Ethernet. HT interconnects provide high-speed data links between coupled devices. Most HT enabled devices include at least a pair of HT ports so that HT enabled devices may be daisy-chained. In an HT chain or fabric, each coupled device may communicate with each other coupled device using appropriate addressing and control. Examples of devices that may be HT chained include packet data routers, server computers, data storage devices, and other computer peripheral devices, among others.
In high speed data processing systems such as those described above, interface agents are required to respond to external and internal configuration accesses. Responding to these accesses requires these agents to provide a target for a request and to datapath to inject responses. In addition, in a multiport system with decentralized routing, there must be sharing of routing information between the agents. Using a switch to provide the aforementioned functionality would be very complicated. There is a need in the art, therefore, for an efficient method and apparatus for providing configuration status to multiple agents in a multiport system with decentralized routing.